Filing-cabinet.



C. B. ULRICH.

FILING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6. I915.

Patented May 29, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. B. ULRICH.

FILING CABINET. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 1915.

Patented May 29, 1917.

w v w B- Ulrich C. B. ULRICH.

HUNG CABINET.

4 APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. I915. 1,227,704. Patented May 29,1917.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3.

EEi-EI- 1| as 27 MW wi intooco U ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. ULRICH, OF. EOUGHTON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR '10 ART METALCONSTRUC- T1011 COMPANY, 01' J'AMESTOWN, NEW YORK, A GOBIfORA'IION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

name-enema To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Cnannns B.llnnrorr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houghton, in thecounty of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented certam new anduseful Improvements in Filing- Cabinets, of which the following is aspec1- fication.

This invention relates to filing cabinets, and has for its ob'ect toprovide for eifectively housing oar s, suc as those of a card index sstem, or a card edger system, and to provide for convenient access tothe cards for removal and replacing the same in a very simple andconvenient manner.

It is a further object of the invention to embody the same in portableform and sup ported on rollers so that it may be conveniently run into avault when not in use. In this connection, it is pro osed to provide forlocking up the case or ca inet in such a manner asto preventunauthorized access to the contents thereof, and while the case orcabinet may be constructed of wood, it is Ere ferred to make the. sameof metal with reproof linings.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide for utilizing the caseor cabinet as a desk or work table, and to give conven ent access to thecards through the top of the case or cabinet, when the latter is open,so that cards may be conveniently handled by one standing or seated atthe front of the case or cabinet.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the drawin and particularly set forth in theappen ed claims, it being understood that changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details ma be made, within the scope of theclaims without de artmg from the spirit or sacrificing any o the advanta es of the invention.

the drawings,

Figure 1' is a. top plan view of a fil ing cabinet embodying thefeatures of the pres ent invention, the top or lid being open, and thefoldable shelf supported in position for use.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April e, 1915. Serial No. 10,590.

bar 7 connecting the rear corner Patented May 29, 191 '1.

the work shelf being folded down against the front of the cabinet.

F1g. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view.

Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary perspective view of the frame of thecabinet.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of mounting thecard trays.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a detail.

Like character-s of reference designate corresponding parts in each ofthe figures of the drawings.

The case or cabinet of the present invention is of general rectangularshape and oblong in plan, as best shown in Fig. 5 of. the drawings, withits greatest dimension from left to right looking at the front of thecase or cabinet.

The frame structure of the case or cabinet is best shown in Fig. 6, fromwhich it will be seen that there are, employed four corner posts oruprights 1, each upright being in the form of an angle beam. The bottomsof the corner posts are connected byside sills 2 and end sills 3, thetops of the posts being similarly connected by the members 4 and 5.About midway between the top and bottom of the frame there isasubstantially horizontal front bar 6 connecting the front corner posts,and a similar osts. Brace members 8 extend from each ower corner of theframe to about the middle of the adjacent cross bars 6 and 7, the topsof each pair of braces beingsuitably secured to the cross bar, andhaving secured on their inner faces a bracket 9 carrying a suitablebearing 10. A pair of sup orting wheels 11 aresuitably mounted withinthe frame at one end thereof, and a pair of cas wheels 12 are suitablymounted within the frame at the opposite end thereof, preferably upon across-bar 13 extendi between the front and rear sills 2. The amestructure thus far described is preferably made up of metallic bars, andbeing mounted upon wheels, can be readily pushed about from place toplace.

The skeleton frame is inclosed by the bod of the cabinet, which bodyincludes a bee 14, a front 15, ends 16 and 17, and a 'bottom 18, each ofwhich parts is a sheet vided whereby the lid or cover may be lockedwhenever desired, and as there are no .other openings in the case orcabmet access to the interior thereof cannot be had except when the lidor cover 1s open. A suitable link brace 24 1s prov1ded to s upport thelid or cover in its .open posit on. A top plate 25 closes the top of thecabinet at one side of the hinged to or 11d, and another top plate 26covers t e top of the case or cabinet at the other side of the hingedtop or cover. N

Within the case or cabinet is a rota device in the nature of the wellknown erris wheel mounted on'an;axis which extends from front to rear ofthe cabinet. This Ferris wheel" device consists of two duplicatespiders, each spider including a hub 27 and a plurality of spokes orarms 28 radiating therefrom. The. hubs of the two wheels are ri 'dlyconnected by a tubular member 29 which rotates vupon the bearings 10 onthebrackets 9. By preference, suitable ball bearings are providedbetween the end portions of the tubular shaft 29 and the bearings 10, sothat the wheel structure may turn easilyupon its axis. Between corresponding arms of the two wheels are suspended receptacles 32, so that byrotating the device, any desired receptac e may be brought to the top ofthe cabinet. On each end of each receptacle there is a bearing member inthe form of an angle bracket 33 suitably secured to the top portion ofthe end of the receptacle and having its depending portion s aced fromthe receptacle and rovided wit 'a slot or bifurcation 34 in w 'ch isreceived a headed stud 85 on the inner side of the adjacent oke or arm28. By reason of this connection between each receptacle and the wheelmembers,

the receptacle is hung in such a manner that it always maintains ahorizontal position it will be seen thas iere is provided a e with its 0top uppermost and ma be very conv ii i ently fitted in place and removed by reason of the bifurcation 84 in the bearing bracket.

'As best shown in 5 of the drawing,

spring catch or clip86 at the back of th case or cabinet and disposed inthe path of the spokes or arms of the adjacent wheel.

card trays or names This catch hasanintermediate de ression or seat withinclined spring termina s at oppoto the seat and in site sides of andleading h t 0 wheel so that the path of the arms 0 when any spoke or armisengaged by the spring catch, it will hold the wheel against accidentalrotation, but by the application of force the wheel can be cbnvementlyrotated so as to bring any box or receptacle to the top of thestructure.

' As best shown in Figs. 1- and 4 of the drawings, it will be seen thatthe o ening in the top of the case or cabinet is of a size to giveaccess to the three uppermost receptacles.

Across the front of the cabinet and im-- mediately below the cut-outportion 22, there is a work shelf 37, which is suitably hinged to thefront of the cabinet and extends across the entire width thereof, theright hand end of the shelf having a right angled extension 38constituting. an arm rest. Suitable swinging brackets 39 and 40 areprovided upon the front of the cabinet to support the work shelf in' itshorizontal operative position, said brackets being hinged or pivoted soas to fold back against the front of the cabinet when the work shelf isswung downwardly when not in use.

Across the lower portion of the front of the cabinet is a foot rail 41suitably hinged to the case or cabinet so that it may be folded upwardlyagainst the same when not in use.

A suitable spring catch or clip 42 is provided upon the front of thecabinet to hold the foot rail in its folded position.

In using the presentfiling cabinet, cards, such as indicated at 43 inFig. 4 of the drawings, are placed in the respective file boxes orreceptacles 32 which are hun upon the arms of the wheels... Thedimenslons of the cabinet and the work shelf 37 are such that whenseated or standing at the front of the shelf access ma be convenientlyhad 'to any of the cards int ethree uppermost filing boxes orreceptacles, so that the cards may be convenient y removed when it isdesired therefrom, and may be'just as convenient? returned to theirplaces. The shelf 37 a conveniently brou ht into accessible posi tion atthe top oft e cabinet, merely by rotating the wheel.

When not in use, the foot "to place data thereon or to obtain data railand the work shelf ma be folded back.

against the front of the ca inet the lid or cover 20 closed and locked,w ereby the cards areefiectually' housed against unauthorized accesthereto, and the entire cabinet may be convenientlly pushed into avault.

It will here be ained that when the race else '82 are filled or evenartiall filled, there is considerable weigh placed upon the bearings ofthe retary device, and therefore I have provided the skeleton framestructure and braced the same so as to properly sustain the weightwithout any danger of buckling or sagging of any parts of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, Whatv I claim, is

1. A device of the character specified comprising a cabinet having anopening in the top and a cut-out portion in the upper edge of the frontthereof, a cover hinged to the back and adapted to extend over the topof the cabinet and provided at its front edge with a depending flange toenter the cut-out portion in the front of the cabinet, a shelf hinged tothe front of the cabinet immediately below and adjacent the cut-outportion thereof and adapted to swing downward against said front, awheel mounted within the cabinet and rotatable in a plane parallel withthe front and back thereof, and a plurality of receptacles mounted uponthe wheel and disposed to be brought into upright position opposite theopenings in the front and the top of the cabinet and opposite the saidshelf when extended into horizontal position.

2. A filing device comprising a cabinet having an opening, a wheeldisposed within the cabinet and comprising arms, receptacles mountedbetween the arms and adapted to maintain a given position, 'and a springcatch attached to the inside of a wall of the cabinet and concealedthereby, said catch having an intermediate depression with inclinedspring terminals at opposite sides of and leading to the depression andin the path of the arms to engage the same and hold the wheel in desiredadjusted position.

A portable filing device comprising a skeleton frame and embodyingcorner uprights, upper and lower transverse and longitndinal bars,intermediate lon 'tudinal bars, and braces extending from t e lower endsof the uprights to the intermediate longitudinal bars and connectedcentrally thereto, bearings at the upper ends of the braces, inclosingelements attached to the frame members, the top element having anopening which is closed by a cover, a shelf hinged to the structureadjacent the opening in the top thereof, a wheel arranged within thestructure and mounted upon the said bearin and receptacles removablymounted upon ti e wheel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. ULRICH.

Witnesses:

A. A. Eon, H. S. SHEPARD.

